New Year Festivities at Sathya Sai Grama
January 01, 2016
Friday, January 1, 2016 - Morning
The term “New Year” signifies a beginning; it represents a renewed sense of vigour and resolve, an opportunity to let go of the past and start afresh. And what a better way to celebrate this auspicious occasion than at the Lotus Feet of the Divine Master! Devotees from across the world gathered at Muddenahalli to celebrate the start of the year, with their beloved Lord.
Bhagawan arrived at 10:30 A.M and the morning programme commenced at Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham Auditorium. The gathering was treated to a splendorous musical performance by Lamhe, a band from Bangalore and alumni, alumnae and current students from the Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions. Dimitris Lambrianos, a Greek musician, who has now made Muddenhalli his home, along with Tim Budden, a devotee from Australia joined the group, to perform at the Divine Lotus Feet. This talented and diverse group rendered performances in a myriad of languages – English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, including two Sufi numbers much to the delight of the audience.
Swami then launched a darshan music CD called Swara Sudha. Mangala Arathi was offered and the morning session concludes with the distribution of prasadam.
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A splendid music performance offered at the the Lotus Feet of Beloved Bhagawan, by alumni, current students and devotees.
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Friday, January 01, 2016 - Evening
The evening session of the New Year celebrations commenced at 5:30 P.M. Swami arrived amidst the sacred sounds of Veda by High School and PU students from the Muddenahalli campus.
The first speaker for the evening was Sri B S Vijay Sai, an alumnus from the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. Claiming that his own New Year resolution was not to make any, but just feel the love of Swami, he cautioned the audience against taking Swami for granted, or attempting to interpret His words or actions. His message for the assemblage was “feel what Swami feels (Prema), do what He does and be what He is!"
Sri B N Narasimha Murthy, Chief Mentor, Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust addressed the gathering next. Quoting Mark Twain’s famous maxim, “It is easy to give up smoking. I have done it many times”, he spoke on a subject that touched a nerve with everyone gathered – ‘Why do we not stick to our New Year resolutions?’ Recounting his experiences with the Lord, he impressed upon the audience the need for the self-centred ego within us to be replaced by God-centred ego. He urged the audience to strengthen their New Year resolve of not letting the ego interfere, between Bhagawan and them.
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The proceedings of the evening commenced with the ceremonial Veda recital, by students of the Muddenahalli campus.
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Divine Visit - Singapore and Malaysia
January 04 - 09, 2016
Stepping into the brand new year of 2016, the immense love and collective prayers of devotees from Singapore and Malaysia, drew Bhagawan to make a visit, yet again. As Swami's entourage landed in the evening at Changi Airport on Monday, 04 September, the Singapore team which was there to receive them, welcomed everyone with such warmth and love, that is experienced across the globe when meeting others from the Sai family. It seemed as if it was just yesterday, when this devout team offered soulful carols and songs during the Christmas celebrations held at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli on December 25, 2015 at Bhagawan's Lotus Feet.
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Sri Sumeet Tappoo, offering soulful bhajans at Bhagawan's Lotus Feet, at the Bhojwani residence.
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Divine Visit - Singapore and Malaysia
January 04 - 09, 2016
January 05, 2016 - Morning
Day two of the Singapore leg of Swami's first overseas travel in 2016 started with a satsang in the house of Dr Ganesan Naidu and his devout wife, Smt Suganthi. The house was abuzz with people, from family members to other invited guests, all busy with preparations, ensuring the already elegant home gets transformed into a perfect place, fit to receive God!
With the call received that Swami had departed Dr Ravi Pillay's residence, bhajans led by the mellifluous voice of Sri Sumeet Tappoo commenced. As the mood set, others among the Singapore devotees joined to lead the high-tempo bhajans. As Swami's car pulled into the portico of the Ganesans, the family was ready in eager earnestness to receive the Lord, yet again at their residence, on this very special day.
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Sai Annapoorna - Breakfast Seva Initiative
When the Lord decides that He wants us to learn to Love without Duty, He does it by designing a program that makes it easy to incorporate this lesson into our everyday lives! For, wouldn’t it be easiest for love to flow when small, innocent children are involved?
Inspired by the ideals of ‘Service to Man is Service to God’ and under the Divine Guidance of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, nutritious breakfast is served every morning to the underprivileged school-going children from remote villages in 108 centers across Chickaballapur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Vishakapatnam, Trivandrum etc. Breakfast being the most important meal of the day, is definitely mandatory for growing children.
While the mid-day meal program serves them a well-balanced nutritious and sumptuous meal every day, children who have had good breakfast in the morning are naturally more attentive and active at class.
The Breakfast Seva initiative as guided by Bhagawan, started on July 05, 2012, in Dodbelle (About 5kms from Kengeri, off Mysore Road, in Bangalore). Parents of the children in this village were daily wage earners and had to leave home early morning for work. Hence, most of the kids either have the food prepared the previous night or went to school without no breakfast.
Our compassionate Lord has directed the team working on this project, to roll out the initiative on a much larger scale, across various schools in rural India. He has lovingly named the project, ‘Sai Annapoorna’, which commenced on November 24, 2015, and has established the ‘Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust’ with the objective of Grama Udharana and Grama Parivartana (Rural Upliftment and Rural Transformation) focusing on Vidya (Education), Vaidya (Health care), Vidyut (Electricity) and Vaari (Water). Milk and banana are served daily to 8000 school-going children, across 90 identified schools in 108 centers.
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With only one motto of their master Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in mind - 'Love All. Serve All', a group of volunteers from Sri Sathya Sai Sevamrutham, participated in the relief work, in and around Chennai, which deformed the city, its neighbouring districts in the state, and a few cities in Andhra Pradesh, in the middle of November 2015, for almost two weeks at a stretch.
An avatar of compassion and love, Bhagawan propagated the message, 'Service to mankind, is service to God.' His words of love and service continue to light the lamp of love, in the hearts of all the devotees.
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Tune in to Sanathana Vani every Thursday (IST 5:30pm), Sunday (IST 6pm), and during festivals, to listen to the LIVE satsang, streamed directly from Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli.
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